Forgive Me
by SpazzieBunnie
Summary: A text from Mrs. Otterton has Judy going over to her house while on her break. As she make it there however she notices that it wasn't Mrs. Otterton but in fact her own husband Emmitt Otterton. As the two sit down she learns something that will make her learn the truth of Emmitt. The truth of how Emmitt was connected to the Missing Mammals Case. Which will then lead to a decision.


Seven months had passed since the case of the Night Howlers was solved. The case would had never been solved without the help of ZPD bunny officer Judy Hopps and her hustler turned cop fox friend Nick Wilde. Without them the land of Zootopia would had been chaotic and full of nothing but fear mongering thanks to the former mayor Dawn Bellwether. When the sheep mayor was caught red handed she was immediately sentenced to life in prison without parole with everyone involved having to have gotten caught on either the same day or weeks later. The rams Doug, Woolter and Jesse. Later on Duke Weaselton. All animals were captured and given life in prison. The same treatment as their sheep ruler.

Throughout the seven months crimes were average with them being not too high and not too low, especially since summer was around the corner. From petty break ins to a bank robbery going on and so forth. Officer Hopps was one of the main reasons some mammals would say is to why the crimes were not too bad. She was a bunny cop. The first bunny in general to become a cop for ZPD. It was always her dream but never in her life would she think that the dream would become an action filled adventure. Especially with how her sidekick was a fox pawpsicle hustler.

Nick was her partner which at first was because of force and a recorder carrot pen. Now he became a good hearted but still charismatic first fox cop partner with Judy. The two of them grew close. Very close as the mammals would say in joking detail. They was always paired together and always involved in operations together. One day however it was resulted in a tragedy. A hostage situation had occured with a crazed wolf holding a gun to the head of a cheetah. With Judy trying to talk sense the wolf had the lust of blood in his eyes. The lust to kill. He rather not waste the bullet of a civilian but instead at the cops. At her. Nick in full speed pushed her aside so the bullet would hit its wrong target and thus resulting in the wolf being shot to death, Nick being hospitalized, and Judy having to work at the ZPD without her partner by her side.

In the week that has passed Nick was still in the hospital to recover from the bullet that doctors had said was 'A lucky bullet' as it never hitted any of his organs. Only flesh. Though he still was sore in his shotted side near his stomach he still was doing fine. Judy of course always visited him and sat with him when she was on break. The two of course still kept going on since the first day Nick had been kept here. However in the seven day of the week her break had to be cut short from a message on her phone. It was from Mrs. Otterton.

Mrs. Otterton was not only one of Judy's closest friends she had but she was in fact the one who needed the help the most when Judy was starting as a cop in ZPD. Her husband Emmitt Otterton was one of the missing mammals that was missing who later was revealed to be savaged. Without Mrs. Otterton, Judy would had never gotten the chance to become a cop but without the rabbit cop Emmitt would had never been found and the truth would had never been known with Mrs. Otterton having to worry every day.

The otter was texting her saying if she could hang out for at least one minute or two. The bunny cop was just as confused with the text being said but she figured she could had some time to spare before going down to the hospital. She walked off as she walked to her police cruiser and opened the door to it. With her hopping in and buckling her seatbelt she turned the key in the ignition and started to head down. With Mrs. Otterton being in the Rainforest District it was quite a drive for Judy but this was her friend she hasn't seen in a long time. It would be nice to take a visit before meeting her partner.

The district was still the same as it usually is. A warm and humid wet place for animals who enjoy the beauty and its mists and rains. Judy didn't mind the rain but luckily the rain wasn't pouring today due to what the news said was a pipe busted. She looked and saw the sign. Riverbrook Lane. She turned into the lane and after passing many of the houses she parked in the driveway of the Ottertons. She turned off the ignition after about the ten minute drive and opened her door to hop off and shut and lock it. She noticed that one of the cars was gone so obviously Mr. Otterton had left so it would just be a girl chat.

The cop walked over on the steps of the house and knocked on the dark oak door three times. "Mrs. Otterton. I got your text." Judy said as she could hear footsteps coming to the door thanks to her very good hearing. They were getting closer and closer until the sound of the door knob twisted and pulled. It was an otter who opened the door. An otter who had dark brown fur with a slender body and glasses. The clothing gave right away who the mammal was. "Mr. Otterton?" Judy questioned as she wasn't expecting him.

"Oh hello officer Hopps." Emmitt said as he opened the door more wide. "Come on in." The gray rabbit walked in as she was hit with the aroma of lavender by her first two steps inside. "Whoa Mr. Otterton. This smells pretty good in here." She explained as he walked inside of the big comfortable looking living room as the walls were a pale green and the couches were a light brown as a small round coffee table was in the middle.

"Thanks officer Hopps. Oh and you can call me Emmitt." The friendly otter in a green cable-knit sweater with corduroy pants and a paisley tie on him said as Judy looked over to see the table had two chairs by each side. "Go ahead and sit. The chairs are soft as feathers they say." Emmitt said as he walked over to the chair from the opposite side and as Judy sat down onto the chair that was almost her size. No need to hop or nothing.

Everything felt quiet. With the otter looking at the cop rabbit as she looks around and even down the hallway to see if anything was in her sight. No sound but only her and the otter she saved. "So where's Mrs. Otterton?" She said in a questioning tone to her voice. "I got this text saying she wants to talk to me." Emmitt looked at the lavender eyed bunny. "Actually I sent that. I didn't know if you had my phone number. Sorry." He fixed his glasses to wipe off the smug he apparently had with Judy nodding. "Oh It's ok Mr- I mean Emmitt."

Again it was quiet. No sound or nothing but the scent of the flowers. She knew he was a florist before he was captured and turned savaged. Obviously he still must be if he could have flowers that were exotic as lavender. "What you bring me over for?" Judy said to break the awkward silence. The otter fixed his glasses clean as he looked up at her. "Oh. Well I wanted to just see how you and Nick are doing. I'm sorry about what happened to him." He felt sorry for the poor bunny cop who gave him a smile. "Me and Nick are doing ok. Nick will be back on his feet in no time but will be off work for three weeks." She sounded happy to say that as those words made her smile. Her partner was going to be ok and that's all that mattered.

"That's good." Emmitt looked down onto the light brown wooden flooring with Juddy looking and seeing it. She had the instinct that something was wrong. She didn't want to ask too many questions but at the same time she didn't want to bother him. Still as a good hearted rabbit and officer she had to speak up and find out what was wrong. "You ok Emmitt?" The tone of worry of her voice made the otter look up at her with the look of having to have zoned out. "Huh? Oh I'm fine." He wasn't fine. Judy could easily tell through his voice and tone and the way he was acting something was bothering him. She guessed it was time to ask firmly yet caring.

"Emmitt. Why did you bring me out here? You know you can tell me." She letted out a smile to Emmitt to let herself look trustworthy. "If something is wrong you gotta tell me. I could help you with what's wrong." Again silence was met after Judy said her words. Nothing in the house but smell. No sound was made by either of them for what was seconds felt like minutes to her. She was asking to herself in her own mind of what to do. Talk to him more? Say something different? Anything else? Her mind felt like it was going nowhere as Emmitt still looked at her.

A sigh came from the otter as he finally spoke. "You know how I worked as a florist before I went savaged?" He explained to Judy as she nod her head. "Yeah. I was told about you thanks to your wife." She remembered about him. A small file but thankfully some tips of Mrs. Otterton pointed to his work and blood type and glasses and others Judy would had to remember by mind and ink in paper. "I still happened to be one to this day. Hehe." The smile on Emmitt quickly appeared for only a second before his frown came. "Then the devil appeared in my house." He sounded scared to even talk about it with his voice shaking slightly between his words. Before Judy could as what this devil was her answer came out of his mouth. "The devil was wearing the wool of a sheep."

Her eyes widen to his words. Bellwether. She knew right away and didn't even had the look of asking him a question about who it was. She figured it out in a snap. "What did Bellwether do?" Judy was worried about what she could had done to him. Hurt him and his kids? Hurt Mrs. Otterton? What was it that this crazed sheep did? Emmitt spoke out again as he took a quick breath before continuing. "About eight months ago, it was late at night as I came home from work. My wife and kids were out and at their family from outside Zootopia." He took another breath as he could feel the walls and world around him start to change not to his very own eyes but to his own mind as he looked into the past.

"I came home and was going to eat marshmallows and relax. I was alone to myself for a week and I had two weeks left til they came home." Again he paused but this time with no breath coming out. Judy was worried as the story was killing her as she wanted to know. It was like a teacher reading off a book on an interesting topic. She had to know more. Emmitt then unpaused and went forward to his story. "That's where I saw her. On the same chair I am sitting on. She was right there in her mayor's assistant uniform on and looking into my eyes." He was shaking at the look of her eyes.

"Those sheep eyes." the rabbit cocked her head in confusion as Emmitt talked about her eyes. "Wait sheep eyes? Aren't you talking about green eyes?" Emmitt looked at her as if she spoke in tongue. "No Judy. Those aren't her real eyes. Those are contacts." Judy's eyes again widened at the thought. Her eyes was like that of a rams? It was noted that only the rams had the eyes but a female sheep? A sheep in general having those eyes. It made her stomach turn as she never knew about that and learning she might have more secrets to her than Judy thought.

"She told me that she had spied on me. She knew with some help of her thugs that basically I know every single kind of flower. Every rose. Every tulip. Everything." He looked liked he was going pale as he could remember everything. Judy could only look with no words on her mind nor on her mouth. It was only quiet with the otter and the rabbit before Emmitt spoke. "She at first wanted me to make money. She learned that I was working with the crime boss Mr. Big as he was paying for my shop and in return I give him crates of exotic flowers for both his other businesses and his daughter. His daughter Fru Fru is a fan of flowers. Heh, sweet girl." His words continued as Judy was listening and paying attention to everything he said.

"After I worked my tail off and got some big bonus' thanks to Mr. Big in one month, I gave her the money. At first I thought she wanted me because of my connection to a crime boss. That she only wanted money for her own personal gain." He took a gulp as his eyes now was showing only fear. "That's when it hit me." Judy learned forward slightly as she had to know. Her eyes were closer to his own. "What hit you?" She said to get the answer. The answer was something Judy wanted right now to help Emmitt. He's a good otter. A good mammal. A good animal in general. He didn't ask for Bellwether and yet he was dragged by force. She wanted to help him.

"When she told me that she knew that I knew every flower was where I knew I was doing more than giving money." The pupils and eyes easily were told he was frightened. Judy didn't push her face further. She wanted the answer now. "She wanted Night Howlers from me." The rabbit who was brave and fearless was now feeling like her heart stopped in just terror. Her face backed away slowly til her back was pressed against the soft chair with her mouth slightly agape. Bellwether wanted the Night Howlers and she had the perfect mammal. Emmitt.

Emmitt didn't say anything at all to Judy. Judy looked as if her gut was punched hard. She couldn't believe it at all. A sweet innocent otter had gave an evil corrupted sheep the one powerful ingredient to cause chaos and havoc among predators and prey. Yet though her whole two days to find him it went past over her and Nick's head. She was so blind by wanting to become a true cop she missed the key point to it all. The main reason how Night Howlers were given to that sheep.

"She wanted it. I gave her crates of it. It costed me over about five thousand for her to make about fifty cases with two hundred of the pellets inside each one. As she said of course. I don't know the exact number." Even as Emmitt was talking Judy looked as if her life was gone. Like she was soulless. It was taking time for her to understand this whole thing. This whole story the otter was telling. "It took her a month to figure out the formula with a help of a chemist ram who took many trials and errors." Emmitt continued on as the pieces were starting to come together in the cops mind. "It took me a month to realize through her talks with me she wanted to turn predators into savaged beings. To show that prey is the superior mammal." He took a breath as he quickly continued

"I knew that if I didn't stop her then Zootopia would be in shambles. Broken without law and order. With her being the cause of it all." His eyes kept looking at the stunned rabbits lavender colored eyes. She was slowly back to her normal look but he knew inside was shock and pure unbelief. "By discreetly going to Mayor Lionheart without Dawn knowing I was able to tell him that something was wrong. That the mammals are going wild. When he learned it was predators turning savaged he immediately took interest in it all. I didn't want any other mammals turning savaged. I didn't want to do it but dang it I had no choice!" He was looking and sounding the mix of anger and disgust at himself. His eyes quickly looked down at the dark brown table as he was doing calming breaths as his eyes hinted of water starting to form.

Judy went over to reach to help wipe them away but her hand paused as he talked without warning. "The days followed after I told Lionheart to look out for savaged predators and was hearing about missing mammals. I knew he did the right thing." Judy slowly putted her hand back to her as Emmitt letted the tears drop between his glasses and face as they splash lightly on the table. "The next days however she knew about it. She was sending a ram with a dead eyed shot at me. At that one night I wanted to go tell Mayor Lionheart as I was in one of Mr. Bigs' limos from his limousine service. It was time I wasn't afraid. I wanted to say what I should had said instead of being scared of that sheep." A long exhaled breathed came out of the teary eyed otters mouth. "That's when it hit me. The pellet. I knew that I was going to be one of the savaged predators. One of the missing mammals. I tried warning that limo driver but my body turned weak. My mind went blank. I remembered nothing but being in a limo and my life flashing at my eyes. My family. My kids. My wife. Before it went dark."

He took off his glasses as he wiped his watery eyes with his sleeve and snuffled. Judy couldn't understand her own situation. The mammal who started it all was Bellwether but the one who helped her was right in front of her. She was in the house of the only criminal not arrested. Not captured. Still walking among the citizens of Zootopia. Emmitt putted his glasses back on as he looked over at the disbelieved cop. He coughed as he starting speaking. "That's what happened. My life went downhill as soon as I woke up from my savaged state. That's when I saw you. A cop. I figured it was the end of my life. My own wife and kids would lose a husband and father."

He sounded shaky as if fear was creeping back at him with Judy still looking at and not saying a word as if she is studying him. "Then nothing happened. I saw cops come over to me and to you and nothing. The weeks. Nothing. The months. Nothing. Every single day passing by as I see the cops drive by here in their sirens as I wait for them to land in my yard with swat team and take me down. Nothing." He looked at her eyes. Her eyes were shocked. That was all he could say. Shocked. Surprised. Baffled even.

"Every day as I fear the ZPD finding me the terrors of what I did creep back at me. Like claws tearing my soul apart." He was shaking now with his words as Judy could sense his tears will flow back into his eyes. "I wake up every day in the morning with every nightmare of it. Of what I have done to everyone! I wanted to end it and stop my pain but I can't. I can't!" Before his voice extended to yelling Judy grabbed his arms to which made Emmitt gasp as he was facing closely to the bunny. He knew she wanted him to be calm without saying a word to which he responded back to his normal calm voice. "All I am saying is- Well that I am sorry for hurting Zootopia. Harming you and everyone involved with the Missing Mammal Case. For making you quit your job and for having to feel as if you was the monster. The cause of prey fearing predators and for giving predators a bad name." He looked into her eyes as he said it. Again he spoke in his calm words. "I am the monster you should had arrested."

Judy letted go her grip on him as she get was looking at him now. Emmitt just felt ashamed of himself. Like he wanted to punch himself in the face for doing everything wrong to the utopia he lived in. Where his kids were growing up in. The stunned rabbit just looked. Observing. No sound and no movement on her body but her eyes. "So that's why you brought me here." She finally spoke which now in turn shocked the otter. "The truth was eating you inside. You wanted to say it but you didn't know how. You wanted to tell it to the one mammal who risked everything for you. Me." Judy sounded like she had completed a hard puzzle that she never thought she would go back to but now she had an extra piece to fill in.

Emmitt looked as he was again wiping his glasses to clear the fogged up lens of his as he nodded to what she said. "Yeah. That- That sounded right." Silence broke down between the two. The one who helped created chaos and the one who stopped fear mongering was in the same room close to each other. The tense was huge to Emmitt who was waiting for her to just pull out the cuffs and say his rights as the metal will clank behind his back.

"All I ask is for forgiveness. Only then would my mind and heart be at ease. I done the most damage to you so you deserve to pick what happens to me." The otter wasn't afraid. He wanted to pay for his price. The question is how though? Judy was looking at him as not a cop. Not a stranger. As a friend. A friend who has been given the toughest choice with the pros and cons weighing her down. "If I am going to be arrested I want to contact my wife one last time before the cuffs get on me." He wasn't looking at her as he said that. Just only his hands as he rubbed and hold them together with the fear of cold metal being on his wrists in any second.

"I could also pay by your hands." His words made the bunny look at him with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Judy asked as the saddened otter looked right at her. "You could do justice on me. Your personal justice. You can say I attacked you and you had no choice but to- but to-." His lips quivered as Judy noticed what he ment. Could she really kill him all because of him being the one who started the Night Howlers to be in Bellwethers grasp? "I did so much. Prison or death. Either one will do me fine as I have to accept my fate. I'm sorry for everything Judy. I'm sorry for hurting everyone." He closed his eyes as if the answer was picked right away. The sound of handcuffs or the sound of a gun out of its handle was all that he was hearing in his inner thoughts.

"Forgive me." Emmitt said his words. His words that he believed was his final last words. His final breath. Either being in a coffin or in a cell he was ready for Judy to make the choice. He waited. No sound from the rabbit. He waited more. "Go ahead. Do what you have to do." As if his words were commands he did feel something. Hands on his own. Emmitt had his eyes slowly open to see the rabbit without handcuffs on the table. No guns. Only her hands were on his. Judy had one thing that only made herself be questioned by Emmitt. A smile.

"Emmitt. You are no monster. You wanted to keep your family safe. To make sure you wasn't losing your loved ones." Judy was starting to sound as if she was making a speech while the otter listened. "You are not evil. You only did it cause you had no way out. You was afraid. I get it, I get afraid too. Your actions had lead you to stop attacks from happening. Had lead you to become one of the savaged predators. Had lead me to find you and keep going til the case was over. Had lead me to help a friend. You did bad things. But you did it for not yourself. For your family." She smiled at him as the otter was wondering where it was going.

"It was not because you wanted good karma. It's because your heart is pure gold." She had his hands stop holding together as she held them both as Emmitt was confused but yet was curious to hear her words like she did with his story. "Despite everything. Despite you being the reason of how Bellwether got her plan to go in full motion." Again she smiled at him.

"I forgive you."

The words shocked him. Three words were what made the otter feel like he was dreaming. The one life he ruined the most. The one who could easily arrest or kill. She forgave him. His grip loosened up as his hands pulled back away. "You do?" It was all he could muster out before Judy nodded. "Yes. I do forgive you." The weight and tension of his body was starting to feel lifted. The thought of how he wasn't going to lose his life was something he never thought would happen. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry. He just was so mixed of emotions that his smile and laughter was all he could do.

Judy was grabbed by him as in quick motion he wrapped his arms around her torso in a tight hug as she could feel warm tears drip on her shoulder. "Thank you Judy. Thank you." Emmitt was speechless after his words were said. No court. No cuffs. No death. No revenge being made. He got to be forgiven and got to live his life. He could feel the rabbit having her arms wrap into a hug as well.

The hug slowly was letted go as Judy and Emmitt pulled out and with her standing up off of the chair. "I'm glad you told me. And of course I'll keep your secret." She said as she fixed her armored vest with Emmitt shaking his head yes. "I have to get going. Maybe you should stop by and see Nick when you got some time." the invitation was a sign of peace being made between the two. Emmitt smiled at her "Of course. What kind of flowers should I bring?" He asked as she was starting to walk over to the door with her hand gripping on the handle. "Bring lavender. He loves lavender." She twisted the knob and opened the door as the air slightly blew on her face.

She looked back and waved at the otter and saying her goodbye. Emmitt did the exact thing. He knew that as soon as she stepped out the world would change. For her she had learned the reason of the Night Howler pellets and having to understand more of her enemy. To Emmitt he knew with her outside of the world of Zootopia it would be different. No fears of police. No more night terrors. He would finally have a clear conscious. He would finally feel at peace. He felt forgiven for his past actions.

Emmitt was happy to have his savoir forgive him.


End file.
